


If They Knew All About You

by orphan_account



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-18
Updated: 2013-06-18
Packaged: 2017-12-15 08:22:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/847377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Nick and Harry have a baby, but Nick would much prefer another puppy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If They Knew All About You

**Author's Note:**

> I saw [this](http://wearecharmingandloveable.tumblr.com/post/52864980328/otp-hello-popstar-wearecharmingandloveable) and was inspired.

“She doesn’t get a collar? Are you sure?”

“For the very last time, Nicholas: No. Babies don’t get collars. Babies are not puppies. You cannot treat her like a puppy.”

Nick crossed his arms in a huff, effectively ignoring the infant in the carseat next to him. She was all of two days old and he was already bored of her. When could she play fetch? When could he take her on walks? “What does she eat?”

Harry rolled his eyes at him through the rearview. “Honestly, you act as if you’ve never been around a newborn before. The jokes were tired two minutes after the fact, they are certainly tired two DAYS later.”

When they arrived home, Nick sat and attempted to undo the carseat from its restraints. Harry stood outside, watching, hiding his gigantic grin behind his hands. “I can get it, Harold. Just be patient.” The tiny infant was fast asleep, all of the jostling and pulling and…“There!” yelling had seemingly no effect. He looked up at Harry triumphantly. “Look!” Nick pulled the carseat off its platform and handed it to Harry. “See? And I know she’s not a puppy. Puppies aren’t nearly so complicated to travel with.”

*****  
In the first week their daughter was home, Nick had changed approximately five diapers. Based on the tally chart Harry had been keeping taped to the back of the baby powder that Nick always remembered after the fact. And at that point, why undo all the magnificent work you’ve just done? He helped with feedings, sure, and he kept a watchful eye on things during bathtime, but for the most part, he was a bystander, a passive participant.

He loved her, of course, she was their daughter. But his big clumsy hands were better suited for scratching dogs’ bellies, rather than holding the porcelain doll that was his child. It didn’t help that Harry made it look so effortless, so easy, so natural. Holding her like a football cradled in his arm as he moved around the kitchen in a blur, stirring, opening and shutting the refrigerator, and impressively dicing tomatoes (Nick still had no idea he’d managed that). The way he seemed to know immediately how to soothe her, the way she reacted to his voice, opened her eyes to the deep drawl when he would talk to her. He wouldn’t say he was jealous, per se. He just…hadn’t developed that bond yet, that’s all.

Nick spent plenty of quality time with her; when she was nestled asleep in her bassinet at the side of the bed. Yes, he had to lean over Harry to watch her because of course she would be on his side of the bed. But he loved her, he truly did. He just wasn’t ready to hold her or bathe her or do anything of the sorts. Not until he was certain she could support her own neck. Nick would take responsibility for many things, but a bobble-head child was not one of them.

On their walks, Nick would make off-handed comments about how one day she could play fetch with him and the dogs. Harry had finally become fed up by Nick’s increasing unwillingness to co-parent, his unending comparisons to Lex and Puppy. “She’s a tiny human being.” Harry snapped at him, one day during their weekly walks through the park. “I know you know this, but the jokes are tiring, Nick. She is not another dog.” He stormed off towards home, leaving Nick in disbelief.

When Nick finally made it home, Harry was on the couch, cup of tea in hands. He shrugged off his jacket and unleashed the dogs. “Well, then. I’ll just do some cleaning up as you relax, yeah?” He headed towards the laundry room, to sort out the mess of clothes he’d left that morning.

As he stood and folded tiny onesies and itty bitty socks, he felt a pair of arms around his waist and a chin resting on his shoulder. “You’re a very good daddy to your dogs. You’re going to be a very good daddy to our daughter. If you ever remember she’s a daughter.”

Nick huffed out a laugh. “I do love her. But I just see how naturally this all comes to you, and I…”

“You make jokes, because that’s what you do best, I know, I know.” Harry spun him around, rested their foreheads together. “But the jokes really aren’t funny anymore. Can you please try to stop comparing her?”

“Yes. When she learns to play fetch better than Puppy, the comparisons can stop. He’s a master fetcher, she has quite a ways to go.”

*****  
They had settled into a good routine that made them both happy, but then one day when Harry was in the shower and Nick was on his third straight DVRed episode of Britain’s Got Talent, Nick heard it. A cry. The cry of a newborn who was in some sort of distress. Nick had a moment of panic, looking down at Lex. “What do we do?” He whispered. “Do you reckon we go pick her up?” There was no indication Harry was going to be of any help anytime soon. He had no choice. He tip-toed into the bedroom where the tiny human was; flailing about in her bassinet. She had completely undone her swaddle and her little legs were tangled in the blanket.

Nick panicked. He had seen Harry swaddle her dozens of times, but it was more fun to joke about butterflies coming out of their cocoons than to actually watch how it was done. He picked her up and laid her on the bed. He put the swaddling blanket on the bed and placed her on top of it. “Okay. Just like making a burrito. I’ve made millions of burritos. This is no different.” He tucked her left arm against her chest and pulled the blanket over. He pulled the bottom of the blanket past her shoulder, and repeated with the other side. Tucking the sides in and popping a nuk in her mouth, she finally settled. “Well, would you look at that.” He said in awe. “I’ve properly burritoed a human.”

He picked her up, remembering the incessant nagging of supporting her neck, and carried her into the living room. She was dwarfed in his arms, his massive hands covered her swaddled body completely. He gingerly laid on the couch, the tiny baby on his chest. He watched as she rose and sank with his own breathing. Eventually her occasional whimpering was replaced by the suckling of the nuk, and Nick closed his own eyes, humming quietly as he ran his fingers through the stark black hair on her head, marveling at how soft it was. “I reckon you’re the prettiest little girl I’ve ever seen.”

He began to drift off when he heard the sound of a camera shutter. Harry was above him, towel around his waist, hair dripping down his shoulders. “Well done, love.” He whispered, planting a kiss on both their heads. “Well done.”


End file.
